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Introduction
Since the first edition of the Exeter Diabetes Protocol in 1988, and its revised web-version in 2002, there have been a number of important developments in diabetes care. The original aims of the document were to help practice staff achieve optimal standards of diabetes care, and to facilitate the best use of hospital and primary care resources. Currently primary care provides the vast majority of diabetes care in the region and secondary care has a role in supporting primary care as well as providing direct patient services.
Therefore the philosophy behind this handbook has changed from a comprehensive education aid to a shorter, problem-orientated web-based resource. In particular we have provided links to or copies of patient leaflets, NICE guidelines and NSF statements.
Our aim is not to replicate national websites, but to provide a one-stop diabetes resource for local healthcare professionals working in diabetes. It has evolved from the DevonDiabetes website, which was a pilot project.
The most important person in the diabetes team remains the patient. Diabetes UK (formerly the British Diabetic Association) has a web version of the patients' charter "Diabetes Care: what care to expect". This is essential reading for anyone new to diabetes care and it can be seen on the Diabetes UK website.
We received lots of positive feed back with regard to our pilot website - we hope again that health care professionals will tell us what they would find useful in this handbook. Give us your feedback and we will attempt to change or add content as necessary - it is a resource for primary care and so we need you to tell us what you'd like to see here.